5 Things to Understand About Gen Z
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I get plenty of requests for content about engaging Gen Z in the workplace — here are my two cents.
It’s all about the common goal of getting different generations to understand each other and work better together.
Disclaimer: I don’t speak for a generation of people. They are not all exactly the same, and I don’t claim to know everything there is to know about Gen Z. This is my perspective based on many conversations and observations. Gen Z isn’t entitled or mysterious — they just see that the way things have been done for a long time isn’t great, and they want different.
Here are five things that I see to be true about Gen Z that would benefit companies and other generations to understand in order to engage them in a more meaningful way.
1. They want to be paid well, and fairly.
Uhh, yeah. Who doesn’t want to be fairly compensated?
Gen Zers have witnessed companies historically treat their employees like replaceable garbage, while a good number of CEOs and execs make 400x the pay of an average employee.
To observe the inequity in companies, to want more opportunity and fair compensation is pretty reasonable. There’s a lot of money and opportunity out there, and they want more of it than the least amount possible.
2. They want to have purpose.
Gen Zers want to work for companies that share their values — that care about the planet, and people, and have a worthwhile purpose other than just making money.
They want their work to feel meaningful. They want the effort that they contribute to a company to be of value and to mean something. They prefer to work for companies that are intentional about having positive or meaningful impact.
3. They want to have personal impact.
In a similar vein as above, they want to have an impact and a seat at the table in order to feel heard. I also see this dynamic can commonly lead to the labeling that they are entitled by older generations who feel that they are asking for that seat before they’ve ‘earned’ it.
I see and hear a lot of people who have a misconception that think that Gen Zers want to be in charge of everything immediately. I don’t believe that that’s true — I believe that they just want to make things better.
They want to improve things, they want to make processes more efficient, and to work smarter, not harder. Challenging the way things have always been done isn’t entitled, it’s innovative and an attempt to improve what doesn’t work or make sense anymore.
A great advantage of this is diversity of thought. As a company, if you leverage your Gen Z employee’s perspectives, opinions, and feedback, some great new ideas can come from that. Not every idea or suggestion is brilliant, but you don’t need an unlimited amount of brilliant ideas, you often only need one.
4. They want flexibility.
Gen Z doesn’t want to feel like they have to pretend that their job is the most important thing in their life, or that they are excited to work endless hours for a company at the sacrifice of their own joy and wellbeing.
They want flexibility and to balance their work and real life well in order to also prioritize their own lives. They want to be able to go to a concert or doctor’s appointment, leave a day early for the weekend to go camping, or work from a hotel at the beach.
They want an environment where they are trusted to do their job while also having enough space and freedom to balance real life. That’s not entitled, who doesn’t want that?
They want to work hard and do a good job, they just don’t want their job to consume their whole life.
5. They want to be treated well.
Gen Zers want to be treated well by their bosses, by their coworkers, and in a company with a great, positive culture. They value feeling like their company cares about them. They don’t want to work in a toxic environment where they’re treated like garbage or micromanaged by crusty supervisors and leaders.
Wanting to feel respected, valued, and genuinely cared about doesn’t seem like left field to me, it sounds pretty great.
Final thoughts: Gen Z isn’t mysterious
This is a group of people who want better for themselves and know their options — they can have side hustles, they can job hop, and they want balance. None of that is crazy.
You can hold whatever opinions you want on this generation, but point blank: they’re here to stay. As they grow older, they will take over a larger portion of the workforce. It’s in every company’s best interest to adapt to the shifting landscape in order to succeed.
Times are different, adapt and intentionally give agency to the voices of younger folks, or don’t — but leaving Gen Z off the table won’t be a long-term solution.
Engage them, advance them, invest in them, and they will work hard for you. Gen Zers have a lot to offer, so don’t miss out on that. Find meaningful ways to give them what they want, align with their priorities, and you’ll reap the benefits as a company.
Related Blogs:
How to Engage Gen Z and Younger Employees
Are Younger Employees Entitled?
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This article was created by Galen Emanuele for the #culturedrop. Free leadership and team culture content in less than 5 minutes a week. Check out the rest of this month's content and subscribe to the Culture Drop at https://bit.ly/culturedrop